Warriors: The Journey Begins
by SandstormxFirestar
Summary: Leopardstar is blind, Leafpaw is taken by Twolegs, the Clan is going through hard times, and a war with RiverClan may be in the near future...
1. Blackkit

Warriors; the Journey Begins.

Firestar padded along the ThunderClan border, his flame-like pelt glittered in the rays of the hot afternoon sun. He slightly opened his mouth to take in the aromas of the forest. He scented fresh RiverClan markers on the border by Sunningrocks. He could smell rabbit, but it was stale. But there was something about the other scent that he smelled, it was RiverClan, but it wasn't like the fresh markers on the border. It was fairly fresh and on their side of the territory.

Intruders! Firestar went back to Mousefur and Dustpelt, who were waiting for him in the ferns at the top of the bank.

"I've scented RiverClan," Firestar reported to his two Warriors.

"Of course you've scented RiverClan! This is where their territory begins!" Dustpelt hissed.

"I know that," Firestar replied calmly, "But I've scented RiverClan on _ThunderClan's _territory."

Dustpelt and Mousefur exchanged worried glances before following their leader to where he'd smelled the intruders.

Firestar felt a rush of alarm. There was squirrel fur scattered around the edge of the river. Firestar lifted his nose and slightly opened his mouth to catch the scent, but before he could identify it, Dustpelt dove into a bush. When the ThunderClan Warrior poked his head back up he had a RiverClan kit's scruff clenched tight in his teeth.

The kit was struggling under Dustpelt's brutal grip.

"Let.. me... go!" the kit rasped. He was a unusually large kit, with a pelt black as midnight and dark grey stripes going across his back. His big, bright yellow eyes were narrowed in a challenging way as he batted at Dustpelt's massive head.

"I found this tresspasser stealing ThunderClan prey!" Dustpelt growled.

Firestar glared at the kit, who looked back at him with a stare as cold and hard as ice.

He sighed. "Dustpelt, it's just a kit. Let him go."

Dustpelt looked as his leader as if he thought he was kidding, but he obeyed. The kit saw his chance and started to run back toward RiverClan.

But Mousefur blocked his way. Dustpelt came on the kit's other side and Firestar was in front of him.

"What is your name?" Firestar asked in a demanding way.

"I don't have to answer to _you_!" the kit replied coldly.

"Oh yes you do you stupid fur ball! He's the leader of ThunderClan, you _do _have to answer to him!" Dustpelt growled.

Firestar knew Dustpelt didn't mean it though, he knew Dustpelt was just showing aggression toward the kit because he'd intruded on ThunderClan territory.

The kit looked at his paws for a long moment, too long for the impatient Dustpelt. The Warrior's growl made the kit answer immediately.

"Blackkit," the kit replied quickly.

"Okay Blackkit, are you lost?" Firestar calmy asked.

"Of course not!" Blackkit scowled.

"Then why were you trespassing on ThunderClan you mouse brained furball?!" Dustpelt growled furiously.

Firestar gave Dustpelt a warning glare, and his Warrior mumbled something too low to hear.

"Well... not anymore... now I know this is ThunderClan territory... so could I just go?" Blackkit innocently meowed.

Dustpelt, Mousefur, and Blackkit looked at Firestar for his reply.

"No. Not yet." Firestar replied with a sigh. The ThunderClan leader turned to his two Warriors and meowed, "You two go back to camp, I'll stay here with Blackkit. If he's lost I will escort him back to his camp."

Mousefur and Dustpelt gave their leader a disbelieving stare.

"What?! Are you completely mouse brained?! You can't just go marching into other Clan's territory!" Mousefur yowled.

"If I'm returning a kit to them, they'll understand." Firestar meowed, half confidently, half fearfully.

"But-"

"No! Go back to camp, I will deal with Blackkit!" Firestar interrupted.

Mousefur opened her mouth as if she would argue, but she just looked at Dustpelt and turned around.

Dustpelt gave Firestar an unsure glance before following the ThunderClan she-cat Warrior.

"Okay Blackkit," Firestar sighed, turning back to the cowering kit. Firestar tilted his head. "I'm not going to hurt you," he meowed.

The kit seemed to calm down a bit, he stopped shaking in fear and his eyes were a little bit brighter.

"Are you lost?" Firestar asked.

"Yes... I am..." Blackkit sighed.

"Why are you out here, without any Warriors?" Firestar asked, startled that Leopardstar would let one of her Clan's kits out of the camp without protection or guidance.

"Um... not exactly..." Blackkit mumbled, shuffling his paw in the dirt nervously.

"Blackkit... does Leopardstar know you're out of the camp?" Firestar suppressed a sigh.

"Well she's probably figured it out by now, but..."

Firestar's annoyed groan interrupted the kit's stammering,

"Last night I got into trouble. So I thought that if I got a good amount of prey then I wouldn't be in trouble anymore... and I don't know the border scents so I didn't know this was ThunderClan territory," The kit finished.

"So you _are_lost?" Firestar repeated.

Blackkit hesitated, then finally sighed, "Yes..."

Firestar suppressed another sigh.

"And you don't know how to get back to RiverClan camp?" He meowed.

"Um... I could try..." Blackkit stammered.

Firestar let out a final sigh and cleared his throat before saying, "I will escort you back to your camp. But you must promise me, you'll never go out of your camp without a Warrior, and without Leopardstar knowing."

Blackkit hesitated, as if he was going to refuse, but he nodded and meowed, "I promise Firestar."

Firestar nodded and started across the river. He lightly stepped on the stepping stones, every now and then looking over his shoulder to make sure Blackkit was following. Every time he did Blackkit's big eyes were looking up at him, waiting for him to move on.

Firestar lead Blackkit closer to the camp. His mouth slightly opened and his nose almost to the ground. Blackkit flinched at every moment and every sound, but Firestar took no notice of the sounds and movements, he just trotted on confidently toward RiverClan camp.

Finally they arrived at the RiverClan camp. They were up on a hill, where they could see all of the camp. Firestar spotted three cats, adding prey to the fresh-kill pile. He was relieved that they weren't anyway near them when the hunter patrol arrived back at the camp, but he knew they'd meet a patrol on the way down to the camp.

Sure enough, Firestar was right. He smelled a patrol coming their way, but he refused to hide. If he hid, the patrol might think he was stealing the kit and they may attack if they saw him as a threat.

"What's that?"

"I smell ThunderClan!"

There was a suspensful silence after these words were hissed from unseen cats.

Then without warning, three cats jumped from the bushes.

"Firestar!" one of the cats gasped. It was Stormfur. Firestar easily identified each cat in the patrol. Stormfur, Mistyfoot and Swallowtail-but there was a third scent, masked behind the others. Before Firestar could identify the scent, Leopardstar jumped from the bushes.

"Trespasser!" Leopardstar hissed.

"Leopardstar," Firestar dipped his head respectfully. Leopardstar growled in reply, "Don't try to come off all innocent!" Leopardstar's golden spotted pelt shimmered in the setting sun, but her eyes weren't nearly as beautiful. Her eyes were filled with hatred and hostility.

"Let me explain-"

"He's stealing a kit!" Stormfur gasped. Firestar looked at the young Warrior. Would Firestar's best friend's son actually think he'd do something so terrible? Firestar's heart sank, but there was no time to think about that. All he wanted to do now was get out of this without a fight, return the kit home safely, and go back to his Clan. He felt the alarm as if his Clan was in danger. If he ran away now though, they'd surely bring something hositle up in return. Perhaps Leopardstar would even talk about it at the Gathering. He had no choice now, he had to stay and return the kit.

"No, I'm not stealing Blackkit, I'm returning him. You see, I was on a patrol with my warriors Mousefur and Dustpelt. I scented RiverClan on our side of the territory, so I went to report it to Mousefur and Dustpelt, when they came to scent it themselves, we found squirrel fur scattered, and a new RiverClan scent, much fresher then the borders was there. Dustpelt found Blackkit hiding in the bushes. I guess it was then he found out it was ThunderClan territory. We had a long conversation with him, and I decided I'd escort him back to his camp-sense he told me that he was lost and couldn't find his way back-so I led him back, and now here I am. All I wanted to do was return this kit. I hope you understand and do not act hostile in this situation."

After Firestar's long explination everything was silent. In the distance Firestar could heard a high pitched chirp from a bird.

Leopardstar looked at her Warriors, but Mistyfoot was the one she looked at the longest. She turned her gaze back to Firestar. His heart pounded so hard, all his hope faded as Leopardstar began to flick her tail in order to attack. She finished the silent order, but not one of her Warriors moved.

"Attack!" Leopardstar hissed, turning her head and looking over her shoulder to stare at her Warriors.

"Leopardstar, there is no reason to attack Firestar. He isn't doing anything wrong!" Stormfur bravely spoke up.

"Are you blind?! He is _ThunderClan _on _RiverClan _territory! That's what's wrong! He's trespassing!" The RiverClan leader spat.

"But he had a good reason to be on our territory; returning a kit. Therefore there is no reason to attack him." Mistyfoot meowed confidently.

"He is _stealing _the kit!" Leopardstar growled, turning her cold gaze on Firestar.

Firestar was touched that his friends would do this for him; turn against their own leader for him and for what's right... how brave of them. But in his heart Firestar worried for his friends, knowing Leopardstar they'd have some severe punishment to get back to when they went back to their camp. He guess Stormfur and Swallowtail would have to spend the rest of the moon living Apprentice lifes, and Mistyfoot would probably have to watch after the elders, also an Apprentice's job.

"_If _Firestar was stealing Blackkit, don't you think that you Blackkit would be yowling, and Firestar would be dragging him along. Plus, we followed Blackkit and Firestar's scent _here_they were coming to RiverClan not ThunderClan." Mistyfoot pointed out.

"How dare you refuse my orders!" Leopardstar spat. "Attack!"

But still, no one moved.

"Firestar is here, and he's returned me, so can't we just go back to camp and leave this all behind us?" Blackkit asked in his small meow.

Meows of agreement arose from everyone, except for Leopardstar who hissed in disapproval.

"No! You will follow my orders and you may not like it, but I am your leader, and you will obey me! Now attack!" Leopardstar laid her eyes flat on her head when again no one moved.

Firestar flinched and his heart skipped a beat, would Leopardstar really attack her Warriors because they weren't following orders that didn't make sense?

"Leopardstar! You may be our leader, but we will listen to StarClan's will before we listen to you! We will only follow orders when they are StarClan's will! This is not what StarClan wants, to attack Firestar for such a pathetic reason! You are not leading like a leader should, you need to learn you're not the most powerful cat in the forest just because you guide a Clan!"

There was a eerie silence after Mistyfoot's words were said.

Leopardstar's growl broke the silence, "Call me a bad leader?! Call my orders pathetic?! I need to learn?! I will teach _you _what you need to learn!"

To Firestar's astonishment, Leopardstar pounced on her deputy. She slashed her claws and dug into Mistyfoot's exposed flesh. Mistyfoot let out a yowl of agony and swiped her claws in a random direction. Leopardstar let out a shrill yowl of shock.

Stormfur gasped as blood dripped on the forest floor.

"I can't see!" Leopardstar yowled, flailing her paws and yowling in fear.

"She...she's blind..." Stormfur shuddered.

All eyes turned to look at Mistyfoot. Her eyes were flat on her head and her tail tucked between her legs. Pure horror flooded her eyes and her expression was filled with horror, regret, and fear.

"Look what that no good deputy stupid furball did to me!" Leopardstar growled, flaying her head toward Mistyfoot.Everyones eyes were filled with fear and horror.

_Poor Mistyfoot! _Firestar helplessly thought. He knew Leopardstar, and she would surely exile Mistyfoot was blinding her. A deputy blinding a leader was something that deserved a punishment, but this was on accident and even though this was an accident Leopardstar would be cold hearted enough to _exile _Mistyfoot.

"Leopardstar... oh... oh no... I... I didn't mean to! I'm sorry! I-"

"It's to late for sorry now! Look what you did to me!"

"Leopardstar, it wasn't her fault. She's not the one who started the quarrel. I could be back in my camp right now and Blackkit would be safely home if you would've just accepted me returning the kit and left it at that! Just because your RiverClan leader, doesn't mean you get any better treatment then your Warriors!"

"Listen kittypet!" Leopardstar hissed. "Just because you've done some legendary things in the past, doesn't mean you get any 'better treatment' now! You do not get to tell me what to do! I do the commanding around here, and if you're in my territory you follow my rules, that goes for these no good Warriors here!" Leopardstar swung her head toward the three Warriors who refused to attack on her command, and talked against their leader.

Firestar stared at Leopardstar. No one had called him kittypet for so long, he'd thought by being ThunderClan leader, he'd finally shown everyone that even know he wasn't forest born, he was still fit to be a leader of ThunderClan...

"So kittypet! You'll be hearing a lot of this when the next Gathering comes, and don't think I won't back down from a fight just because I'm blind! I will tear you to shreds, I will make you wish you were back in your kittypet home with your pathetic Twoleg master! You got a lot of nerve kittypet, coming on my territory! I don't care if you were returning my medicine cat when the whole Clan is wounded beyond repair, you're still in my territory kittypet and guess what else _kittypet-"_

"_That is enough!_" Firestar yowled, his screech so loud, birds in the distance flew from their trees. "You call me kittypet one more time!" Firestar murmured in the RiverClan leader's ear.

"Kit-ty... pet."

Firestar slashed his claws against Leopardstar's shoulder. The leader yowled in agony and suprise.

"I am not a kittypet anymore! That chapter of my life is long gone ya' here?! And just because your forest born and I'm not, doesn't make you one of the best cat in the forest! You're a horrible leader! A kit would be a better leader than you! At least a kit would be kinder. But _you _you're pathetic! I will surely talk about what you did to Mistyfoot at the Gathering, don't think I'm to _soft._ You want a fight? I'll give you a _war_!"

--

Do you like it?

I hope so I worked REALLY hard on it. :3

I tried to make it more descriptive, but I think there's a little to much conversation going on... :(

Oh well, I tried my best! :3

Let me know what you think!

But no Flame please, I'm only 11. :3

Constructive Crit deeply welcomed! :3

ROFL

Thankies


	2. Twolegs

Hiya, sorry about making Leopardstar and Firestar OOC, I actually tried to make them OOC to show how ticked they were -'

I will try to make this one more descriptive! But I may fail, I'm only human! lol.

--

After these words were spoken from the understanding, nice, peaceful Firestar the entire forest seemed to go dead silent, and the only sound was the steady whisper of the wind rustling the green leaves that rested on the tall trees. Firestar almost couldn't believe he'd said these words, he'd humiliated himself in front of good friends. If he apoligized now, what would they think of him? But no, he had to swallow his pride for the will of StarClan.

"Leopardstar... I came here just to return this kit... I didn't expect you to goad me about my past... but truly, that chapter of my life is over. I'm a new cat now. My Clan is were my heart lies, under the duty of StarClan's will," Firestar shook his head in shame. "I'm sorry I said those things... I don't know what came over me I-"

"Just get out of my territory!" Leopardstar hissed.

Firestar shuddered. "ThunderClan means no harm to you. I'm deeply sorry for what I said here today."

Without waiting for a reply Firestar spun around and padded back toward his camp. The sun was starting to go down, and with a surg of fear he realized the alarming feeling that his Clan was in danger still rested in his mind.

Starting to panic, he began to run toward the camp. He'd already gotten past Sunningrocks, and he was so close to the camp he was beginning to reconigze some ThunderClan cats' scents.

Firestar burst through the bushes and ferns., franticlley looking around. He felt his stomach churn with a mixture of fear and delight as he saw Sandstorm, Graystripe, and Cinderpelt sitting beneath the Highrock. All their faces were filled with horror and sadness.

Firestar was surprised that when they saw him and padded toward them, identical glints of anger sparkling in their eyes.

"What happened? Is something wrong?"

Out of the corner of his eye, Firestar saw Dustpelt and Mousefur peeking out of the Medicine Cat's den, they came out of the den all the way to reveal their blood splattered, dirt covered fur. Mousefur wasn't as hurt as Dustpelt, who needed Mousefur's shoulder to support himself.

"Twolegs happened!" Graystripe hissed.

Firestar shuddered. Twolegs could've come at any time, and they came right when Firestar was out of the camp!?

"They hurt Mousefur and Dustpelt so badly..." Cinderpelt shuddered. "And Dustpelt, with only his one kit left... if the kit doesn't survive, he may die of pure heartbreak, along with his wounds..."

"Heartbreak?" Firestar repeated.

"It isn't unlikely for a father or mother to die shortly after their kits... and with Dustpelt's wounds as well as the heartbreak..." Cinderpelt's voice trailed off.

"Have any of the cats gone to StarClan?" Firestar quietly asked, laying down next his friends.

Graystripe, Sandstorm and Cinderpelt gave each other a worried glance.

"We don't know..." Sandstorm meowed sadly.

"Don't know? What do you mean?" Firestar asked.

Cinderpelt inturuppted, "Firestar, maybe you should talk to the Clan-"

Cinderpelt was cut off by a low grumbling growl from a cat behind them. They all turned their gaze to Dustpelt, leaning on Mousefur for support.

"Firestar!" The Warrior growled, "You left us here to be wounded while you returned _another _Clan's kit, in _another _Clan's territory! You're a traitor, abandoning your Clan to go chat with your RiverClan friends!"

"Dustpelt, that's enough! Firestar didn't know that we were in danger, this is not his fault!" Sandstorm growled.

Firestar felt his stomach churn. He actually had the feeling something was wrong in his Clan, still he stayed in RiverClan to deliver one of _their _kits.

"He abandoned us in a time of need," Dustpelt growled. "Some leader he is, going to meet friends in another Clan while his Clan is here, suffering!"

"Dustpelt stop!" Sandstorm hissed.

"Not until he proves that he cares about my kits more then RiverClan's kits!" Dustpelt growled.

"Dustpelt-"

"Enough!" Firestar yowled.

Before anyone could so much a blink, Firestar leaped onto the Highrock and called for his Clan's attention, though he already had it. Firestar looked from face-to-face, identifying that each and every one of his cats were here, everyone was there, so it seemed. The sky was getting dark, everyone was quiet as if silently grieving for no reason. In Ferncloud's expression the was a mixture of defeat, shame, heavy sadness, and just the littlest glint of hope.

In Sandstorm-Firestar's mate's-expression, there was pure sadness, shame, and fear, but somewhere deep in Sandstorm's beautiful green eyes, was a spark of hope and happiness. Too deep to notice though...

In Graystripe's expression, he had a mixture of determiniation, sadness, fear and sparkling of scattered hope. Cinderpelt's expression though, it made Firestar flinch. Usually she had that sparkle of hope and happiness that she had ever since she was Firestar's apprentice, but it was suddenly erased. Not a glint of hope or happiness in the young medicine cat's eyes. Only depression, hopelessness, and horror. Squirrelpaw was just as bad, with her eyes clouded, she was distracted by her thoughts that were probably horrorible and dreary. Squirrelpaw's eyes were filled the the deepest, darkest sadness and hopelessness Firestar had ever seen in a cats eyes.

"Now, someone is going to tell me, when the Twolegs came, if anyone was hurt, or if anyone was lost!" Firestar meowed loudly and clearly.

"Mousefur and Dustpelt were badly hurt, they came back to camp like you see them now, yowling about Twolegs with nets, and sticks with sharp rocks..."

"They hurt you with nets and knives?!" Firestar meowed, ashonished.

"Only with the sticks with sharp rocks though... but they dug into flesh as hard and forceful as our claws into our enemies..." Mousefur shuddered, looking into nothing, remembering the terror and pain they'd felt facing the Twolegs.

"Has anyone been lost?" Firestar quietly meowed, just barley loud enough for his Clan to hear him.

"Nobody died as far as we know..." Sandstorm murmured.

"As far as we know?" Firestar meowed in surprise.

A long moment of silence passed. Firestar looked at all the faces, looking up at him with an expression that said, "I'm so sorry."

Firestar looked around at everyone franticlley.

"Tell me what has happened!" Firestar yowled pleadingly.

But still everyone was silent. Firestar looked at Sandstorm looking up at him with eyes that had 'pain' scribbled all over them. Graystripe looked at him in a comforting way, a way to say, "It'll be okay..." Squirrelpaw looked at her father with a look that yowled, "Why did this happen?!" And Cinderpelt, looked at Firestar in the most heart breaking way, an expression that said something along the lines of: "It seems as if StarClan has disapeared..."

Suddenly the ThunderClan leader understood. Leafpaw was not among the crowd of ThunderClan cats...

"No..." Firestar meowed. "No!" he yowled it this time to Silverpelt. "Not Leafpaw!" he cried.

Graystripe who stood at the right of the Highrock jumped next to him and comforted him, murmuring comforting words and pushing his pelt against his. Graystripe was a great friend, always ready to comfort anyone, especially his best friend...

"Twolegs captured her in nets... they threw her in those ugly monsters and went away with our daughter! Those terrible Twolegs!" Sandstorm cried.

"Dustpelt was right." Firestar hissed.

At this, everyone pricked their ears in surprise.

"Some leader I am! To let my daughter get captured by Twolegs while I return another Clan's kit! You were right Dustpelt... I'm a failer of a leader," Firestar cursed himself.

Dustpelt shuddered, not knowing how to reply.

"Firestar it's not your fault-" Sandstorm began,

"No! I could've been here, to save her... but I was in RiverClan... returning that mouse brained kit!" Firestar yowled.

"Now Firestar, don't-" Graystripe cut off as Firestar flicked his tail in order to dismiss his Clan, and ran back to his den.

"Nobody bother me!" Firestar yowled as Sandstorm and Graystripe ran away him, both of their mouths opened to say somethig, hearing their leader's command though, they looked at each other and walked away.

Firestar sat in his den for the rest of the night, looking into nothing. Sandstorm came in to give him some fresh-kill but he didn't so much as look at it, let alone touch it. He just stared into the darkness, his expression blank, his mind empty, and his heart crying...

Firestar didn't get a wink of sleep, the depression had erased his thoughts, and left nothing but the urge to be with Leafpaw... Finally, in the middle of the day, after what seemed like a lifetime of thinking, he left his den. Once he came out, all eyes were on him. Dustpelt was outside of the Medicine Cat's den, in the sunlight, resting and recovering from wounds, he looked at Firestar with an expressionless face. Sandstorm was with Graystripe, right in front of Firestar's den, talking, but they'd stopped to stare at their leader. Everyone looked at Firestar, except for Squirrelpaw, who looked like she was in the same condition Firestar was in, only moments ago. Expressionless, heart broken, and thoughtless.

Without a word, Firestar leaped on the Highrock, and summoned his Clan. All of the cat's murmured as they trotted toward the Highrock.

Firestar cleared his throat and took a deep breath before meowing clearly, and loudly, "Cat's of ThunderClan, I apoligize for my absences, for the day before, and for last night and this morning. I needed time to think is all, and after a long while of thinking, I've decided..." Firestar stopped, as if he suddenly changed his mind, but an encouraging nudge from Graystripe, who stood behind him, jolted him back into the present. "I've decided I'm sending a rescue party for Leafpaw. I will bring five cats, including myself! If you wish to come you will come to my den, if you do not wish to come and you just have a complaint, do not enter my den!" Firestar had to raise his voice at the middle of his sentence because yowls of protest arose from the Clan.

Five cats Firestar didn't care to identify followed him to his den. The yowls of protest had not stopped, but Firestar didn't pay any mind to them.

"Firestar! This is a mouse brained idea!" Sandstorm cried once they were all settled in Firestar's den. Meows of agreement arose, except for one meow, who disagreed with Sandstorm's comment. Firestar quickly identified the one meow of agreement above the others. Surprisingly it was Spiderpaw. Firstly, Firestar didn't even expect to see the young apprentice in the den, second, he didn't think he'd agree with his rescue plan, for Spiderpaw and Leafpaw weren't friends or anything...

"Spiderpaw, why do you wish to join the rescuse party?" Firestar meowed, surprised.

"If it's because you want to get your Warrior name by going on a journey, it will not work," Graystripe warned, in a friendly tone.

Spiderpaw glared at Graystripe, surprise clouding his eyes.

"No, I don't want to go on the journey because of my Warrior name..." Spiderpaw murmured.

"Then why?" Squirrelpaw murmured.

Spiderpaw didn't reply immediatley though, he hesitated. "I..."

"And... he's speechless." Graystripe scoffed.

"No! It's not because of my Warrior name I swear!" Spiderpaw reassured.

"Then _why?" _Firestar meowed, starting to get annoyed.

Again Spiderpaw hesitated, but looked at Firestar and meowed with all the truth and confidence in the forest, "I love Leafpaw."

The entire den was dead silent. Almost everyone had their mouths open, or was twitching their ear, in surprise.

"Lies!" Graystripe hissed. "Spiderpaw and Leafpaw barley pay any mind to each other!"

Firestar was extremely surprised by Graystripes comment, usualley Graystripe was understanding, and kind, but his comment astonishment everyone in the den.

"What?! You think I'm lying, but it's true! Please let me go on this journey, I don't care if I don't get my Warrior name, I don't care if I don't get any more respect then I have now, I just want Leafpaw back!" the young apprentiec cried.

"But he can't go on the journey-he's an apprentice!" Graystripe pointed out.

Firestar wondered why his friend didn't want Spiderpaw to go on the journey, did he have something against Spiderpaw that Firestar didn't know about?

"Squirrelpaw is an apprentice as well..." Firestar reminded his friend.

"But Squirrelpaw is your daughter and Leafpaw's sister," Graystripe meowed.

Firestar had a point, but Spiderpaw was desprate to go, Firestar could tell, by the pleading why the young apprentice's eyes gleamed, and how his expression showed determination to find Leafpaw and bring her home safely.

"But Spiderpaw loves Leafpaw, just like we all do," Firestar murmured.

There was a hestiation before meows of agreement came from the cats.

"Well then, when do we leave? I want to get my daughter home safely as soon as possible..." Sandstorm murmured.

"Tomorrow I suppose," Firestar replied. He turned to his deputy, Graystripe, "But I need someone to look after ThunderClan, I'm afraid I'll have to keep you here Graystripe."

Graystripe hesitated, as if he was going to argue but instead he nodded in understanding, "You can count on me," Graystripe promised.

Firestar nodded. "Good. So, I, Sandstorm, Squirrelpaw, Spiderpaw, and... we need one more cat, but I've already said Graystripe can't come..."

Almost before the words left Firestar's mouth Cloudtail walked in the den.

"I'm coming too!" he meowed. "That's kin out there, if I can do anything to help get my uncle's daughter back, then I'm not gonna just sit around while kin is out there suffering."

Firestar gave Graystripe a glare, as if his friend would disagree. But Graystripe just glared back, with a unreadable expression.

"Okay Cloudtail you can come."

Suddenly, Brightheart burst through the door meowing.

"If Cloudtail comes, I come! I don't care if it isn't the will of StarClan! If Cloudtail is lost to us, then so am I!" Brightheart meowed.

For a moment, there was an awkward silence. But before long, meows of agreement came.

"Okay then, I suppose we now have six cats joining us," Firestar shrugged. "Okay then, I, Sandstorm, Squirrelpaw, Spiderpaw, Cloudtail and now Brightheart will go to Twolegplace, and bring back Leafpaw, I want you all to get well rested and fed for our journey. Go get something from the fresh-kill pile, everyone is sharing tonight, we can't spare that much prey at a time like this..."

Nothing was said as everyone trotted from the den to the pathetic fresh-kill pile. Everyone left, but Firestar, who stayed in his den. Sandstorm was the last to leave, but instead of following her Clanmates, she turned around to her mate again.

"Firestar, come on, we won't leave you in your den to stare at the darkness again," Sandstorm meowed, "Come, we can share some fresh-kill."

Firestar looked at his mate and blinked gratefully.

Again it was quiet and nothing was said as Sandstorm and Firestar padded to the small fresh-kill pile.

"You can choose," Sandstorm meowed.

Firestar shrugged and randomly picked out a vole. It was pretty skinny, but no skinnier from the other fresh-kill. Firestar and Sandstorm ate in Firestar's den. Firestar was comforted by Sandstorm's, warm fur, pressing against him, and the soft way her eyes gleamed with the moonlight that shined into the den.

Before long, the skinny vole was no more then a pile of bones. For a while, Firestar and Sandstorm shared tounges. The soft stroke of his mate's tounges on his tattered, ungromed fur felt wonderful, and right then he wanted nothing more then that wonderful feeling.

After a while, Sandstorm and Firestar purred their good nights, and Sandstorm went back to the Warriors den.

Firestar laid in his den, alone and cold. The wind shot through the den like rabbits shot through a field. Blowing the vines covering the entrance of the den to one side.

Despite the cold wind, the dark, alone night, and the fear of what tomorrow might come, Firestar drifted into a deep, undisturbed sleep...

But before Firestar slipped away into his deep sleep, the last thought that struck his mind was that Leafpaw was somewhere, suffering with even little food then she had here in camp, crying for help that might not come in time...

--

Do you like it?

I don't know why I put Graystripe out of character. :0

Sorry '

I'm SO bad at description and making people stay in character! :c

Well, hope you like it.

I PROMISE THE NEXT CHAPTER SHALL BE BETTER!

But I promised that on chapter one so...

runs away


	3. The Rescue Begins

Firestar awoke to the sunlight, pouring into the den. He opened his mouth in a long yawn and stretched his legs, pulling his muscles. There was a unpleasant popping sound in his neck as he looked to one side, he flinched at the short pain. For a while he groomed himself, stroking his tounge against his flame colored pelt. Before long, his firey pelt was sleek, and shiny. Despite the fact that he was as skinny as any other cat in his Clan, he looked like a new leader, with his nine lives, and his determination to lead his Clan. But Firestar didn't have nine lives, but determination was another matter, Firestar was ready to lead his patrol into Twolegplace and get his daughter back. He knew he couldn't just go marching out into Twolegplace though, he knew this journey would take a few days. Strategy, focusing, and determination, is what he needed to get out of this safely, with everyone he left with, and with Leafpaw.

Firestar padded out of the vine entrance. At first the light was blinding, but he got use to it and the blinding light faded. He blinked several times before padding toward the medicine cat's den.

Firestar quickly, and quietly pushed his way through the vine entrance. He was surprised to find Cinderpelt sleeping, he didn't blame her though. She was up all night looking after Dustpelt, even though he was sleeping, and perfectly fine she insited staying awake to watch over him.

"Cinderpelt... it's almost time for Leafpaw's rescuse patrol... wake up... I need to get everyone their traveling herbs," Firestar gently meowed as he prodded at the ThunderClan medicine cat's shoulder with his paw.

Cinderpelt slowly opened her eyes.

"What is it?" Cinderpelt stretched her jaws open in a yawn. She blinked five times before looking at her leader and widening her eyes in surprise. "Is something wrong? What's going on? Is Dustpelt okay?!" Cinderpelt franticlley asked.

Firestar blinked. "Everyone is fine... you overslept is all, I just need the traveling herbs for Leafpaw's rescue patrol," Firestar gently explained, more patient from his good night the sleep.

"Oh, yes the rescue patrol..." the light in Cinderpelt's eyes seemed to disapear all at once as she remembered that her beloved apprentice might be dead, dying, or suffering terribley.

Firestar cleared his throat to get the medicine cat's attention again as she started looking into nothingness.

"What? Oh... sorry... of course, the traveling herbs... right," Cinderpelt slowly made her way to her herb stock. There were plenty of herbs from when she collected them just days before, when Leafpaw was still with them in the camp...

"Here we are," she meowed through a mouthful of traveling herbs.

Firestar took them from the medicine cat, her breath smelled like nothing but saliva, air, a touch of blood, and poppy seeds.

"Cinderpelt, are you okay?" Firestar asked after gently placing the herbs in front of him to ask Cinderpelt his question.

Cinderpelt blinked twice, and hesitated before replying, "I'm fine Firestar. I'm still just still a little stunned about Leafpaw going missing..." she started choking her words, as if trying to hold in a enormous burst of tears.

Firestar nodded. "I understand... but before you know it, Leafpaw will be back, and everything will be okay again... I promise," Firestar meowed.

Cinderpelt flicked her tail, as if she was annoyed by her leader's comment. "Firestar, things are never okay," Cinderpelt meowed.

Firestar was stunned by the gentle, peaceful, understanding medicine cat's agressive tone and comment.

"What do you mean?" Firestar meowed, confusion clouding his eyes.

"There are _always_ Twolegs, there are _always _the other Clans, able to attack any moment, there are _always_ rouges, and their are _always _mermories of beloved one's who have been lost!" Cinderpelt spat.

Firestar stared at his Cinderpelt for a long while.

"Cinderpelt... soon we will be in our new home, and we won't have any of those things except for the other Clans and the memories of..." Firestar's voice trailed off, as he realized that Cinderpelt wasn't listening anymore. Her eyes were stretched wide in ashonishment, happiness, confusion, anger, and regret.

Her eyes were fixed on something behind Firestar.

Firestar turned in every direction to try to catch the sight that Cinderpelt's eyes were so fixed on.

"Cinderpelt?" Firestar meowed.

"Firestar! Did you see it?!" Cinderpelt cried happily.

Firestar blinked. "What?"

"That little shooting star, it disapeared into the ground just now! It had Leafpaws scent!" Cinderpelt yowled happily.

"Star? What star? It had Leafpaw's scent?" Firestar's heart suddenly sunk. "Couldn't that mean that she is trying to tell us she is with StarClan...?"

The happiness and smile from Cinderpelt's face quickly drained.

"But..." Cinderpelt's voice trailed.

"I'm not giving up," Firestar reassured. "There is a very likely chance that it could mean that StarClan is telling us what we're doing is right, going after Leafpaw," Firestar pointed out.

A sparkle of hope glistened in Cinderpelt's eyes for a brief moment as she realized that her leader could be right.

"You're right Firestar... I'm sure that if Leafpaw were dead, StarClan would've told me in my dreams last night," Cinderpelt straightened up and laid down.

Firestar gently smiled. "Okay then. The patrol is leaving very soon... I need to get these herbs to them quickly,"

Cinderpelt nodded, but didn't say a word, as Firestar left her den.

Firestar turned around and right before the vine's swung back into place he saw Dustpelt meowing good morning to Cinderpelt as he awoke.

Sandstorm padded over to her mate, who greeted him with a flick of her tail.

"Are those the traveling herbs?" Sandstorm asked, flicking her ear in the direction of the herbs that were tightly clutched in Firestar's jaws.

Firestar nodded and Sandstorm let out a _mrrow _of delight. Firestar wasn't sure Sandstorm really understood what this mission meant, it wasn't just going to be; marching into Twolegplace, quickly finding where their captured daughter was, and then bring her home. On this journey, some cats may not return, this journey could mean death, suffering, complications, it certainly was not a simple task. But not wanting to crush his mate's hopes, he didn't remind her of the danger that may lie ahead.

"So, when do we leave?" Sandstorm shattered the ThunderClan leader's thoughts.

Firestar blinked, as if he didn't understand the question. But after a moment he replied, "Soon," was all he answered.

He carefully placed a traveling herb in front of his mate's paws. She gulped up the herb, as if she'd suddenly realized that the herb had a revolting taste, she screwed up her face in disgust.

Firestar let out a _mrrow _of laughter at the look on his mate's face.

After Sandstorm had gone to the Warriors den, to get as much rest as she could before they left on the journey, Firestar went to the apprentice's den, to find only Spiderpaw sitting, pawing at a clump of moss.

The apprentice jumped to his paws at the sight of his leader.

"Are we leaving now?" Spiderpaw anxiously meowed.

Firestar let out another _mrrow _of amusment at the apprentice's obvious eagerness.

"Not yet," when Spiderpaw's smile faded into a sigh and frown, Firestar added, "But soon, don't worry,"

Firestar pawed a traveling herb toward the apprentice.

"Here, this will make sure you don't go hungry on our journey," Firestar meowed. "I hope you had a good meal last night, because these may ware off quickly."

Spiderpaw nodded eargerly and gulped up the herbs, the first time eating the herbs wouldn't be the best. The realization of the bitter taste against his taste buds that were used to rabbit, squirrel and vole, was simply terrible.

Spiderpaw relunctantly swallowed the disgusting herbs.

"That was terrible!" he hissed, lolling his tounge to try to get rid of the bitter taste.

Firestar purred in amusment.

"Go on now, eat yours then," Spiderpaw taunted.

"I already have," Firestar purred.

Spiderpaw growled in a good natured way.

"Mmm, tasty as a fat piegon was it?" the apprentice teased.

Firestar gently gave the apprentice a soft nip on the shoulder, which sent him running off, yowling in amusment.

Firestar was happy that this day was filled with laughter so far, knowing what may lied ahead, he didn't think that his Clan would be to cheerful, but he was actually glad to be wrong for once.

As he walked out of the apprentice's den, he spotted Squirrelpaw walking toward him, with a very different expression then the day before. Yesterday, Squirrelpaw had a look in her eyes as if she had nothing to live for, now sparkles of scattered hope glistened in her eyes.

"Those are the traveling herbs right? Gimmie one, I want to get going to rescue Leafpaw as soon as we can!" Squirrelpaw was uncontrolably bouncing at least an inch off the ground.

Firestar let out another _mrrow _of amusment.

"Calm down." Firestar purred. "These are the herbs for the trip-and don't worry, we're leaving soon,"

A mixture of anxiety, pride, and hope splashed over Squirrelpaw's face like a flood splashed into an empty ocean.

Firestar sighed as Squirrelpaw gulped up the traveling herb, ignoring the bitter taste. "Squirrelpaw..." he began. At her name, Squirrelpaw looked up at her father from where she'd bent down to pick up the herb with her mouth.

"Mhm?" Squirrelpaw pursed her lips and closed them tightly, not wanting to open her mouth from the bitter taste of the traveling herb.

"You do know that this journey may take lives... and that we may just lose those lives to find what we came for on the journey is... also lost..." Firestar hated to crush his daughter's hopes, but she needed to know that this journey wasn't going to be easy, the hope would make her to careless, but the fury of finding her sister before she was dead, would make her firece and determined. Squirrelpaw's eyes immediatley clouded with anger, sadness, and hopelessness.

Firestar's heart sank as Squirrelpaw flinched angrily and the sadnses and hopelessness washed after, leaving only fury.

"You're wrong!" Squirrelpaw spat. The hatred in her voice made Firestar flinch. "We'll find her! She'll be alive, and no one is going to die! They can't! They _won't_!" Those were her final words before turning around and trotting away. With her tail raised high in determination and her fur bristling in anger.

Firestar suppressed another sigh. This wasn't exactly how he'd hoped his daughter would react to his reminder...

"Squirrelpaw..." Firestar began, but she switched her trot into a sprint and she was gone, off into the apprentice den, away from her father's hopeless gaze.

A _mrrow _of delight came from behind Firestar. He turned around, but no one was there. When he turned back he saw two pairs of eyes staring back at him in an excited way. They made him flinch, and he tripped over a rock and fell on his side.

He let out a small yowl of suprise and pain. Suprise from the two eyes that still stared back at him, and suprise from the pain as he fell on his side.

It was Spiderpaw.

The young apprentice yowled in amusment as Firestar struggled up, only to slip again on a damp leaf.

Firestar let out a good natured growl.

"Sorry to scare you," Spiderpaw meowed anxiously, "But I had a question..."

"I told you Spiderpaw; we're leaving _soon_," Firestar sighed.

"How soon? _Really _soon? Or just kind of, sort of soon?" Spiderpaw eagerly meowed.

Starting to get annoyed, Firestar swiftly shrugged and meowed simply, "I don't know."

Without waiting for a reply, he trotted away, leaving Spiderpaw bouncing in excitment after him. Firestar sent Spiderpaw away to help Cinderpelt look after Dustpelt, sense Leafpaw was not there to help... As Firestar trotted toward the Warriors den, Cloudtail bursted through the entrance, making Firestar yowl in surprise.

Cloudtail purred, "We leaving soon?"

"If I had a plump squirrel for every time someone has asked me that today, I'd be the fatest cat in the forest," Firestar snuffled a purr of laughter and Cloudtail joined in. "Yes, we're leaving soon," Firestar looked at the sky, the sun was still bright in the sky, and it hadn't even come up all the way.

"Very soon," Firestar purred.

Cloudtail nodded. "Good, I've had enough sadness. I can't wait until everything is well again..."

Cloudtail was practically reading Firestar's thoughts, it's exactly what Firestar had wanted all along, for things to be happy, and well...

Firestar dropped a traveling herb in front of his nephew. "Here. It's a traveling herb." Firestar meowed, a strange touch of hopelessness in his voice, still trying to stop the tears that might come bursting through his eyes any moment. He wanted Leafpaw back _now_. He wanted Spottedleaf back _now_. He wanted Bluestar back _**now**_. But just because he wanted, didn't mean StarClan would grant his wish, Firestar looked up at Silverpelt and scowled. Then, almost not believing he'd scowled to StarClan, he sent a silent apoligy to his ancestors, and as if a reply, a star twinkled in the morning sky.

Just like the sparkle of that star, a sparkle of hope sweeped across Firestar.

"Firestar..." a voice came behind him.

He spun around to see Brightheart, smiling at him.

"Firestar, we need to leave soon, the sun is almost all the way up. If we leave by the full sunrise, we might be able to get Leafpaw before the Gathering, which is in two days." Brightheart reminded Firestar.

"Ah, yes. Of course. Here, eat the traveling herb-use caution though, it's bitter and tastes a little something like mouse bile and ticks..." Firestar meowed.

"You've tasted bile and ticks before?" Brightheart chuckled, bending down to eat the traveling herb.

"No, but their both revolting things, I asume they taste as bad as they are-and smell," Firestar purred.

Unlike the other cats who ate the herb, Brightheart showed no sign of disgust.

"That was horrible." Brightheart calmly meowed. "But I've tasted worse things,"

Firestar shrugged, suddenly wanting to leave to rescue Leafpaw immediatley he meowed. "I've given everyone their traveling herbs, it's time to go."

Brightheart nodded grimly, she seemed like the only one who was aware of the danger that quite positivley lied ahead...

Firestar leaped onto the Highrock. As he yowled for his Clan's attention Graystripe pounced on the Highrock next to him.

Firestar was somewhat comforted by Graystripe's warm breath against his shoulder.

"Cats of ThunderClan, as I mentioned yesterday, we're going on a rescue mission for my daughter, Leafpaw. Let me remind you, that this is not just a rescue party. Some cats may not return, including Leafpaw." Firestar saw a mocking stare from Squirrelpaw, still mad about the reminder of the danger earlier that morning. "But please, have faith in us. I will give all my nine lives if I must to save my daughter. I say farewell to you, pray to StarClan that we all return, and with Leafpaw."

Yowls of agreement and determination arose from the Clan that sat below the Highrock.

Firestar turned to Graystripe. "I'd trust you with my life Graystripe, you know that. Take care of my Clan. If I do not come back alive, I want you to know that you're the greatest friend a cat could ever hope to have."

Graystripe's eyes went misty, as if he was about to burst into tears, as if fearful that if he talked he'd start sobbing, he just nodded, and pressed his cheek against Firestar's.

Firestar let himself take in the comfort of his friend, knowing that he may not see Graystripe again.

"Good luck. You're as dear to me as kin.. F-firestar... I always thought of you as a brother... I will pro-protect your Clan as if I was protecting you," Graystripe's meow was heavy with emotion, and tears began to pour from his eyes and soak into his dark grey fur.

Firestar weakly smiled, sympathiclly. "Good bye, brother." Firestar meowed.

Graystripe forced the tears to stop. He sniffled, nodded, and let out one more farewell before leaping from the Highrock. He went to stand beside Cinderpelt outside of her den.

"Farewell ThunderClan!" Spiderpaw yowled as the rescue party began to trott out of camp.

"Good luck!"

"Good bye!"

"May StarClan be with you!"

Yowls of farewell were screeched from the Clan as they walked through the ferns, out of sight.

A sick churn of hopelessness made Firestar's stomach flip. What if cats died to save Leafpaw, and still they returned with only Leafpaw's lifeless bodies, and the lifeless bodies of others who died trying to save her? Firestar suppressed a sigh. He looked at Sandstorm. If Sandstorm died, and Leafpaw was found dead, Firestar didn't think he could bare the heartbreak... and what if Squirrelpaw died too? Then he truly would have nothing to live for, except for Graystripe's comfort and his Clan.

Firestar let out a loud whimper of hopelessness. Sandstorm pressed her flank against his to comfort him, she probably was worrying just as much, praying that StarClan would keep her daughters and mate alive...

Firestar pricked her ears at a loud, wet growling noise. Dog!

Firestar's heart raced, would this be one of those times, that one of his beloved kin would die? Still he didn't dare run, or screech.

A suspensful silence filled the forest as they waited for the dog to jump from the bushes.

Then it happened, a dog bursted from the ferns. It snarled and snapped it's massive jaws.

Spiderpaw yowled in surprise, making the dog race toward him.

"Spiderpaw, look out!" Sandstorm yowled. Spiderpaw was to scared to move though, he shook uncontrolably, cowering as the dog ran toward him with snapping jaws.

Firestar furiously snarled. He wouldn't let someone die this early into the journey-he wouldn't let someone die _at all_! He jumped forward, and took Spiderpaw's scruff, he threw Spiderpaw out of the way of the dog's path, and stood in front of the dog. Standing his ground.

Sandstorm yowled, "Firestar, are you mouse brained!? Get out of the way!"

But Firestar ignored his mate's desprete cry. As the dog was just about to snap his jaws down to bite into Firestar's neck, Firestar swerved behind the dog and dug his claws deep into the rabid animal's back. He pounced on the dog's back and clutched his claws into it's back, biting down on his neck.

A yowl of encouragment came from Spiderpaw as Firestar tightened his grip.

The dog yelp in agony as Firestar pulled out his claws and stuck them back in.

The yelping dog jumped up and down in a desprete attempt to get the cat off. But still, Firestar held his grip.

Suddenly a rush of agony shot through Firestar. He felt as if all life fell away as he fell of the dog's back and onto the ground. His heart went slower and the light from his eyes disapeared.

The dog's Twoleg master had shot Firestar with a hunting rifle...

--

w00t

Yeah I made it kind of boring so I just put that little part in the end

FOR SUSPENSE !

I hope you liked it.

I think I did okay this time, but that's your opinion

Again, Cunstructive Crit deeply welcomed!

I think I might've made Spiderpaw a little OCC, but he's not very important anyway! '


	4. With StarClan

Read it all the way, please don't stop just because Firestar was hurt D':

--

All of the cats yowled in surprise and horror. Squirrelpaw, Sandstorm and Cloudtail protected Firestar. Standing in front of him as they snarled at the Twoleg nearing them, with the rifle clutched

tight in his fleshy fists.

The Twoleg yowled something that the cat's didn't understand, and while the Twoleg screamed Sandstorm turned around to lick behind Firestar's ear comforting.

"Please, hold on... be strong my love..." Sandstorm murmured into her mate's ear. Firestar replied with a flick of his ear, gasping for breath as he did so.

Sandstorm stared at her mate with misty eyes for a long while, but when the Twoleg stopped yowling she turned back around to face him.

Sandstorm let out a furious snarl and the Twoleg began to panic. Fearful that the cats would hurt him or his dog, the Twoleg grabbed his black dog by the collar and cowardly dragged him away, not looking back at the cats, still snarling.

Once the Twoleg and his rabid dog were out of sight, Sandstorm, Squirrelpaw and Cloudtail turned back to Firestar, who stay laid on his side, on the forest floor, his flanks heaving with the effort to struggle enough breath to survive, and his heart attempting to pound so hard that his Clanmates could see his chest throb.

"Firestar! Please hang on... don't die out on us now!" Squirrelpaw yowled pleadingly.

"Does anyone know any herbs to help stop bleeding?!" Sandstorm yowled as Brightheart and Spiderpaw trotted into view, their ears flat on their head and their eyes filled with fear for their dying leader.

"Leafpaw showed me one when Dustpelt's wound started to bleed, when I was helping her," Spiderpaw meowed.

"Thank StarClan!" Squirrelpaw breathed. "What was it?"

"Cobwebs," Spiderpaw replied confidently.

"Okay, Squirrelpaw, Brightheart, you two go off to find some cobwebs," Sandstorm ordered.

"I'm not leaving my father here to die!" Squirrelpaw yowled.

Sandstorm blinked, unsure of what to reply she flicked her ear and swayed her tail back and forth in a twitching motion.

"I'll go, as much as I don't want to come back to find my uncle dead, I couldn't bare to lose Brightheart either," Cloudtail's meow broke the awkward silence.

Sandstorm nodded.

"Hurry!" Spiderpaw yowled.

Immediatley after the young apprentice's yowl, Cloudtail and Brightheart sprinted off, side-by-side through the ferns.

Spiderpaw bent next to his leader and shut his eyes, making tears that hid in his already misty eyes drip out onto the forest floor. Sandstorm padded next to her mate, copying Spiderpaw's expression of hopelessness and sadness.

"Please StarClan... do not take all his life-or any of them... he needs to save his daughter, don't let him die..." Sandstorm sent a pleading pray to StarClan. Firestar looked at her mate sympatheticlly.

"Sandstorm..." Firestar gasped, choking for air.

"Don't talk my love, you must rest," Sandstorm quieted him.

Firestar weakly let out a groaning noise as he got the muscle together to make a weak smile of gratitude.

Once Cloudtail and Brightheart returned with the cobwebs, Spiderpaw gently pressed them into Firestar's bleeding wound.

"Wait!" Squirrelpaw yowled.

"What? I need to stop the bleeding before he loses to much blood," Spiderpaw growled.

"Shouldn't we get that rock thing out of his wound first?" Squirrelpaw replied evenly.

Sandstorm and Squirrelpaw exchanged glances, as if they thought the other would know the answer.

"I guess so... if not then even if the wound heals, he may not be able to walk properly... I think..." Spiderpaw murmured.

Sandstorm gulped. She didn't want to see her mate in any more pain then he already was.

Would taking out the bullet lead to the ThunderClan leader's death?

As carefully as possibly, Sandstorm bended over down next to Firestar's shoudler, where he'd been hit.The bullet was just barley noticable through the flesh and blood that masked it. A sparkle of bronze gave away its position.

"It didn't go very deep," Brightheart observed.

"Which is a good thing," Cloudtail agreed.

All was silent and suspensful as Sandstorm slowly dipped her head down. She slowly opened her mouth, and rested the bullet between her teeth. She clutched it, and paused. Probably expecting Firestar to flinch or groan. But Firestar only twitched his ear.

Slowly Sandstorm pulled the bullet out, as she did so, Firestar let out a yowling groan. His ears flat on his head as he extended his jaws and let out a shrill groan of agony.

"Oh Firestar... why has StarClan lit our path only to bring you pain...?" Squirrelpaw murmured, watching her father helplessly.

"I'm surprised he hasn't lost a life yet..." Cloudtail muttered.

"He is strong... he will hold on to his life like a lion until the last breath," Brightheart rasped.

Meows of agreement came, but they were cut off by Sandstorm gasp of horror.

Firestar's flanks heaved so fast that they were almost a blurr. His eyes were wide with horror.

"He's losing all his lives!" Sandstorm yowled. "Why StarClan?! What has my mate done to you so horrible that he must die this way?!"

"Father! No! Please don't die!" Squirrelpaw cried.

"Firestar is nothing like Tigerstar was! Please StarClan... let him live, don't let him have his lives taken away at once, like Tigerstar! Firestar's life work is not done!" Cloudtail meowed loudly looking up at Silverpet.

And then it was over. Firestar's flanks suddenly stopped. The light from his eyes left, and he began to stare into nothingness...

"No..." Sandstorm whispered. "Why, StarClan? Why him...?"

Squirrelpaw's eyes clouded as she looked at her dead father, she stared at his eyes, as if hoping that the light would come back.

But it never did.

Cloudtail let out a furious yowl up to Silverpelt.

Brightheart looked to her paws, her ears flat on her head as she closed her eyes. A tear dripped from her one good eye as she looked to the ground in sadness.

"Farewell Firestar... May you be with us on our journey..." Spiderpaw murmured, dipping his head respectfully next to Firestar's motionless body.

For a while it was quiet while everyone dripped tears and looked at Firestar.

But the silence was broke by Sandstorm's wail. Tears bursted through her eyes like water bursted from a waterfall.

Brightheart pressed her flank against Sandstorm's to comfort her.

She murmured comforting words like a queen murmured to a scared kit.

That night everyone slept around Firestar's dead body. They took turns sharing tongues with their leader's dead body, each of them shedded the same amount of tears as they did so.

The night was quiet, it poured down rain similarly to how the cats poured down waterfalls of tears. It seemed as if StarClan were crying for Firestar's death.

Sandstorm stared at Silverpelt. Wondering why StarClan would let Firestar die in such a terrible way.

She wasn't ready for him to die. She wanted so much for him to be standing beside her in the rain. She wanted the comfort of him pressing his flank comfortingly agaisnt hers, but most of all she just wanted to know that he was safe. But he wasn't.

He was dead.

That night all the cats slept well from being so tired and sad. Most of them probably had horrible dreams about Firestar's death, re-living the horrible moment that they saw the light from their leader's eyes vanish. It was the most heart breaking sight in the world. To see the light disapear from ones eyes. The light from ones eyes is what makes them alive, is what makes their hearts beat and their spirits shine. But Firestar's spirit now rested with StarClan...

--

Sandstorm opened her eyes slowly. She was greeted by the sight of her mate's dead body, still lying how it did the night before. Motionless and lifeless.

She walked over to see his eyes still open. A blank expression as the spiritless eyes stared into nothingness.

Sandstorm padded through some trees to where she found a cliff, that looked over a lake. The rising sun hit the lake like a bright spotlight in a bright place as it shimmered on the pure blue water. Sandstorm gazed at Silverpelt, and for a moment, she saw a star twinkle in the morning sky. She smiled. Perhaps that was Firestar, watching over her, telling her that he was with her wherever she went.

She closed her eyes for a moment, when she opened them tears began to pour from them. Sandstorm sniffled multiple times before she rested her head on her arm and wiped her tears away.

Sandstorm's head hurt, from the sniffling, the moaning crys, the thought nagging at the back of her head. It all happened so fast... the dog attack... the Twoleg... Firestar's death... was StarClan punishing them? Perhaps they were showing them what this journey would continue to become. Only death? Were they trying to tell them that Leafpaw was dead?

Sandstorm thoughts were shattered as she heard a yowl of surprise.

She sprinted off toward their camping spot.

Sandstorm franticlly looked around once she'd bursted through the bushes.

She was greeted by a big, dark grey cat.

Graystripe!

Graystripe stared at Firestar's dead body with an expression flooded with nothing but horror.

"He..." Graystripe shuddered. "He's... dead..."

Sandstorm went beside Graystripe and pressed her flank against his.

"Why are you here? Firestar sent you to look after the Clan..." Sandstorm murmured.

"I heard screaming yesterday, it was quieter where I heard it, because of the distance between here and camp... I decided I'd go look for you today, to make sure you were fine... Cinderpelt is looking after the Clan, Dustpelt and Mousefur are helping her..." Graystripe quietly explained. "Firestar was on his last life?"

"No," Sandstorm sadly replied, "All his lifes were taken away at once-like Tigerstar..."

"I came to find you all, to make sure nothing happened..." Graystripe whispered. "I didn't expect to find my best friend... dead..." Graystripe shut his eyes, which sent tears dripping out of them.

"Graystripe... you should go back to ThunderClan-"

"I'm not leaving Firestar here!" Graystripe hissed.

Sandstorm was surprised by deputies furious hiss.

"It's what Firestar would want, for the Clan to be safe," Sandstorm quietly pointed out.

Graystripe's gaze softened back to sadness. "You're right... I need to bring Firestar's body back though..."

Sandstorm's gaze hardened to a icy stare. "No! He's staying here! We will bring him to find Leafpaw!" Sandstorm hissed loudly.

Graystripe blinked. "But the Clan needs to know..." his voice trailed off. "I will tell them... but you're right, Firestar would want to complete the journey,"

Sandstorm suddenly took back her harsh tone. "I'm sorry... I just don't want to accept that he is dead..."

Graystripe meowed in agreement. "StarClan has no reason to kill him, he might've killed other cats in the past, but that was because he was protecting his Clan,"

Sandstorm was surprised that Graystripe was somewhat turning against StarClan, after all, now Firestar was a part of StarClan too, so wouldn't that be turning against Firestar too, in a way?

But Sandstorm just meowed in agreement.

"Perhaps StarClan is trying to tell us that Leafpaw is dead," Graystripe murmured.

That was exactly what Sandstorm had thought, earlier that day.

"Or it could mean that Leafpaw _isn't _dead..." Sandstorm meowed hopefully.

Graystripe cleared his throat but said nothing.

After an awkward silence, Graystripe finally meowed, "I should go back to the Clan now..."

"Okay, I promise we will take care of Firestar's body," Sandstorm vowed.

Graystripe nodded, and after he took a final, sad, look at his dead best friend, he spun around and walked away.

Brightheart, Cloudtail, Squirrelpaw and Spiderpaw sat around Firestar, staring at his dead body with horror, as if they were watching him die, all over again. Sandstorm sat beside Squirrelpaw where a gap in the circle was.

"Why has StarClan brought apon death so early in this journey? Will we all die searching for Leafpaw?" Brightheart shuddered.

"Of course not, we're all as strong as lions, so was Firestar," Cloudtail rasped.

"So we'll die just as quickly as he did?!" Spiderpaw gasped.

"Stop! You're all acting like Firestar's death isn't worth grieving, who cares if _we _die?! Firestar is dead! And unless you keep worrying about yourselves then you're just gonna die even easier!" Sandstorm hissed loudly.

It was silent after Sandstorm hissed these words out of nowhere, no pang of regret shot through Sandstorm as she looked at each cat to see sadness and regret on their faces.

"Sandstorm, we _can't _worry about Firestar anymore, he's dead," Squirrelpaw murmured.

Sandstorm's expression did not change though. "What do you mean we cannot worry about him!? He just died! What if StarClan is still agonishingly taking away the last of his lives as we speak!? Shouldn't we worry about that?!" Sandstorm yowled furiously.

Everyone's eyes were wide with surprise and their ears were flat on their head in sadness.

Sandstrom had just acused StarClan of hurting Firestar, and she said it as if she expected StarClan to enjoy Firestar's pain.

"Sandstorm please, we already have Firestar death to bare! The last thing we need right now is someone yelling at us for things we already know!" Squirrelpaw growled.

"Already know?! You're acting like Firestar's death was long ago! Like his lifeless body isn't lying in front of our faces right this moment! You're acting as if you're glad about the death StarClan has brought apon that innocent cat!" Sandstorm yowled as a shatter of thunder urupted.

"Stop!" Cloudtail yowled above the quarrel. "Firestar is dead, so you think quarreling will solve it!?" He yowled.

The thunder suddenly stopped. All the cats knew it was StarClan telling them a warning, but sense Cloudtail stopped the quarrel they returned to being pleased.

"I am sorry," Sandstorm muttered. "My mate is dead, you don't expect me to be loving StarClan like I did a day ago do you?"

All the cats exchanged glances, no one replied though.

Again that night was almost no different then the other. Brightheart found a poppy plant, so everything gladly took some. For the shock, and to aid in restful sleep.

--

Sandstorm went to lay beside Squirrelpaw, her daughter, in front of Firestar's lifeless body.

"I am sorry for starting a quarrel with you, earlier," Sandstorm murmured. "I don't want to accept he's dead, not until StarClan tells me so in my dreams,"

"You don't have a connection with StarClan though," Squirrelpaw pointed out. "And it's okay, I'm just upset as you are with Firestar's death, he didn't deserve to die in such a horrible way, nor did he deserve to die at this point in time,"

Sandstorm was surprised by her daughter's somewhat wiseness, she was very proud of her, she was so strong, confident, headstrong yes, but she'd recovered from some stubborness as she learned to think about other's opinions before judging them.

"I wanted Brambleclaw to come along with us," Squirrelpaw admitted, shattering Sandstorm's thoughts.

Sandstorm stared at her daughter with an understanding glare. "You love Brambleclaw, don't you?"

Squirrelpaw looked at her mother, her gaze weakly hardened, but after a moment it softened and she replied, "Yes,"

Sandstorm's heart flew and sank all at once. Her daughter was in love! But her mate was still dead.

For a long while, Squirrelpaw and Sandstorm shared tongues. It was nice to feel beloved kin's tongue against her ungroomed, tattered fur. Sandstorm's heart sank as she remembered only two days ago or so, she was in ThunderClan camp, in Firestar's den, sharing tongues with him.

After a while, Sandstorm fell asleep, deeply comforted and cozy with her mother's tongue against her fur.

Squirrelpaw laid beside her daughter, she was very comforted by her daughter's warm breath against her fur, and the way she felt her daughter's stomach go in and out as she breathed.

Comforted by her daughter beside her, knowing she still had something to live for even though Firestar was dead and Leafpaw might be dead as well, Sandstorm swiftly fell asleep. She slowly closed her eyes, and yawned before drifting into a deep sleep.

The next morning, Sandstorm awoke to the blinding light. She expected to be greeted just like the previous morning, but instead she was greeted with something equally terrifying.

Firestar's body was gone.

Brightheart bursted through the bushes that surronded them. "Sandstorm, Cloudtail, Spiderpaw, Squirrelpaw, you've _got _to see this!" she yowled.

All cats looked to one another, not knowing what to expect.

Sandstorm's soul, heart, and spirit sang and rised all at once at the brilliant sight that Brightheart had brought them to.

Standing in front of her, looking at her will all the love in the entire forest...

was Firestar.

--

AHAAHAHA 8D

I'm so happy! 8D

w00t

yAy

hApPy dAy!

I am very proud of that chapter T-T

8D 8D 8D 8D 8D 8D 8D 8D 8D 8D

I hope you liked it


	5. The Journey Begins

For a brief moment, Sandstorm truly did not believe what she was seeing, and for a moment, she got mad at StarClan they'd make her think a dream was real, but then Firestar walked over to her, standing next to Squirrelpaw, and licked her shoulder. While he pulled his head to Squirrelpaw to do the same, Sandstorm could feel his warm, comforting breath against her shoulder, and she knew that this was not a dream.

Firestar leaned his head forward to give his daughter a comforting lick on the shoulder.

"But how...?" Squirrelpaw murmured.

"StarClan took Cloudtail's reminder that my lifes work is not done, into consideration. They told me they were not responsible for the death, and they did not lead out paws here, they are powerful only to watch over us, they are not responsible for where we go, they do not lead us to fate, only our paws do so. They tell me they are vunrable except when it comes to protecting us. They've said my lifes work not be done, so they have granted me with all nine lives again, and my immortality until my lifes work is complete," Firestar explained.

Everyone's eyes were wide with ashonishment.

"Immortality?!" Squirrelpaw sqeaked like a kit.

"Techniclly, I am a StarClan Warrior right now... they will only let me stay in the forest until it's my time to join them," Firestar meowed.

"But what about the others that died not fullfilling their lifes work? Why didn't they let them finish?" Cloudtail narrowed his eyes curiously.

"Because, all of the leaders that died were done with their lives work, Bluestar had forgiven StarClan when she died, and she'd battled to protect her Clan, she was complete with her life, but I, being a leader, am not,"

Squirrelpaw and Spiderpaw were the ones who widened their eyes the most, almost not believeing their ears. They looked at one another with astonished glares.

"Thank StarClan..." Sandstorm breathed.

Firestar looked at his mate with a worried glare. "Sandstorm... I will only live until my life's work is completed... that means that when you're an elder..." his voice trailed off, but he still completed his sentence. "When you're an elder, I'll be long, long gone,"

Sandstorm's eyes widened with horror. "No! But I'm already a senior warrior, so that means that you could die any day before I join the elders..." Sandstorm shook her head. "I will just have to take the precious time I have with you in the present," Sandstorm supressed a sigh of defeat.

Firestar nodded sympathiclly.

"What are we all standing around for?" Cloudtail growled in a good natured way, looking from cat to cat, "Let's go get Leafpaw,"

Yowls of agreement came from all of the rescue party, especially Firestar, who seemed much thicker then the others, sense he was techniclly a StarClan warrior, he'd be much fitter then the others, and it was obvious.

The patrol of cats bristled their fur at the barking of a dog. But it was far away, probably in a Twoleg's garden.

"Thank StarClan we're almost there," Spiderpaw's meow shattered the silence like a bullet shattered glass.

"I agree, though I must admit, I did not think it would take quite so long, I'd think we'd of been determined enough to make it back to ThunderClan by now, with Leafpaw,"

Meows of agreement came, except for Firestar who hissed with disapproval. All eyes looked to their leader. Their expression filled with confusion or suprise at Firestar's loud hiss of disagreement.

"We are still determined enough to get Leafpaw back, just because we had some miner distractions, doesn't mean we're not determined and undistracted enough to finish the mission soon." Firestar calmly explained his rude behavior.

Everyone nodded, and again gave meows of approval.

Even though they'd been on their journey for at least two days, they were just leaving Tallpines. Trees surronded the back of Tallpines in a half circle, on the other half of the circle rested a medium Thunderpath. Cloudtail reassured the cats that Twolegs weren't usually up and about at this early in the morning, which made them braver, but Firestar knew it would also make them a little more careless and less alert, so he knew he'd have to keep very, very careful watch out for Twolegs, dogs, monsters...

"We should be there by just barley the crack of night, we sent a patrol after Leafpaw after she was stolen and they said that she was deep within Twolegplace," Sandstorm shattered Firestar's thoughts. He let Sandstorm's words sink into his mind for a moment before he let his heart sink. So they still would take longer. The earge to race ahead and forget everything to just find Leafpaw and bring her home tugged at Firestar's paws as if he was tied to a monster, his paws being dragged, making together enough power to hold his feet in place.

"Firestar! Come on!" Squirrelpaw called impatiently. Firestar jogged back into the present. Squirrelpaw and the rest of the patrol were eight fox-lengths away, while Firestar stood stupidly and exposed in the bare middle of Tallpine.

He franticlly looked around and shot forward, he was at the edge of Tallpines, where the Thunderpath began. Sandstorm let out a yowl of warning as Firestar shot across the rode without looking. He felt dizzy, and stopped because of Sandstorm's yowl-right in the middle of the Thunderpath!

"Firestar what in StarClan's name are you doing?!" Cloudtail yowled.

Firestar looked around, confused. He was seeing faces. Faces of those he'd seen in StarClan last night, when he was still offically dead.

He saw Bluestar's face, Spottedleaf's face, Yellowfang's face, and-...

Firestar's heart seemed to have stopped, that or it sanked so low that Firestar could no longer feel it in his chest. In front of him, staring at him, was what he'd prayed to StarClan wouldn't be, he didn't see this cat in his dreams, so he assumed very positvley that she was alive, but there she was, in his vision of StarClan.

It was Leafpaw.

Suddenly agony filled Firestar like a shot of lightning, just as it had when he was shot by the Twoleg and his rifle. But no, this was not the pain of a rock like thing shoting through him.

Weight pressed on him so hard he thought it was squish him into the ground.

He'd been run over by a Twoleg monster!

Firestar was just glad that it was him, and none of the others, would he go back to StarClan again? And this time, would he see Leafpaw, just like in his vision? All of the cats at the other end of the Thunderpath yowled with horror. Sandstorm leaped into the Thunderpath and started clawing the Twoleg monster, which had suddenly stopped in the middle of the Thunderpath.

Twolegs inside the monster screamed as Sandstorm crushed a sheet of glass. She clawed at a Twoleg man sitting in front of a black circle with three large triangle holes in it, and he screamed. Cloudtail yowled. "Sandstorm stop!"

Sandstorm looked at her Clanmate with a bewildered look, she hissed and continued to claw the Twoleg. A female Twoleg threw some Twoleg stuff at Sandstorm, while a very small Twoleg kit wailed, and two other, older Twoleg kits started batting at Sandstorm with their fleshy paws.

Firestar crawled from under the monster, gasping for breath. Sandstorm noticed him and was about to jump down to help her mate, but the male Twoleg grabbed her and pulled her in the Twoleg monster. The male Twoleg yowled something to his mate, the female Twoleg, and she hissed something back.

"Sandstorm!" Brightheart yowled. "Sandstorm where are you? Are you okay?!"

But there was no reply.

A Twoleg kit scrambled out of the Twoleg monster and toward the back of the monster.

The remaining cats of the rescue party scattered, yowling.

The Twoleg kit almost ran away the cats, giggling, but the Twoleg male in the car screamed at the kit and it went back to get something from the back of the monster.

Cloudtail gasped, and Brightheart tilted her head.

"What's that, that the Twoleg kit just got from the monster, Cloudtail?" Brightheart asked her mate.

"A cage..." Cloudtail shuddered.

"What's a cage?" Spiderpaw whispered.

"They lock things up in it, a long time ago when I lived with Twolegs, they had a dog, and the dog ran away, when it came back, the Twoleg punished it by putting it in a cage," Cloudtail explained.

Spiderpaw, Brightheart, and Squirrelpaw widened their eyes in fear.

"What's gonna happen to Firestar and Sandstorm!?" Squirrelpaw yowled.

"Shh!" Cloudtail meowed evenly.

Squirrelpaw began to tremor with fear.

Firestar still struggled to pull his back legs from the Twoleg monster's brutal grip, Sandstorm was still being held by the Twoleg man, and Brightheart, Cloudtail, Squirrelpaw and Spiderpaw still hid behind a bush, helplessly watching the terrible scene.

"I can't just sit here and watch this! Those are my parents out there! I _refuse _to lose my family to these horid Twolegs!" Squirrelpaw yowled, then jumped from the bush, Brightheart yowling, running after her, followed by Cloudtail, who followed his mate, and Spiderpaw, who was trying to reassure them all to stay safe.

"Squirrelpaw no!" Brightheart hissed.

"Brightheart stop!" Cloudtail yowled.

"Stay calm! Come back to the bush! Don't be mouse brained and put yourself in this danger! Please!" Spiderpaw meowed loudly.

"Get off my tail Brightheart!" Squirrelpaw growled as Brightheart latched her paws on the young apprentice's tail.

"I won't let you do this! You'll kill yourself!" Brightheart meowed pleadingly, no trace of bitterness, yet she yowled it.

Squirrelpaw turned her head and hissed, making Brightheart instinctivley hiss back, while the Warriors she-cat hissed, Squirrelpaw saw her chance while Brightheart was distracted, and flung away toward the Twoleg monster.

Firestar finally got his entire body out from under the Twoleg monster. He stared up in horror at a little Twoleg kit with a little hut like thing in it's paws, staring at Firestar with the same expression. The Twoleg kit yowled something to it's mother and the female Twoleg yowled something back. The Twoleg kit swerved around Firestar, probably asuming he was dead sense his leg was nearly a wrinkled leaf, his eyes were closed, and a circle mark, probably from the feet of the monster, was on his back and stomach.

"Firestar!" a yowl came. Firestar weakly put his head up to see Squirrelpaw, racing toward him, Brightheart followed, yowling.

"Squirrelpaw...?" Firestar meowed, his head suddenly swerving side to side. "No! Squirrelpaw... go back... the Twoleg kit has a... a cage... it'll trap you... Squirrelpaw..." Firestar pleaded weakly.

"No! I'm not leaving my father here to die..." Squirrelpaw murmured once she was at her father's side.

The Twoleg kit appeared again, two cages in it's hand, it ran toward Squirrelpaw, who hissed, her haunches raised and her fur bristling.

The Twoleg kit avoided Squirrelpaw's claws with the cages, guarding them in front of it's legs. The Twoleg kit suddenly launched a cage forward, and a paw, and grabbed on to Squirrelpaw's scruff, then quickly tossed her in the cage.

"Squirrelpaw! No!" Sandstorm yowled, seeing her daughter captured, but as she let out a cry, dark, small walls enclosed her. Sandstorm had been captured in the cage as well!

Firestar yowled. "No! Squirrelpaw! Sandstorm! OW!" As if suddenly remembering he'd just been run over by a Twoleg monster, he stopped.

Firestar felt dizzy, and his mind was in a fog as it hit the ground in exahustion. His eyes closed, and the last thing he saw before his eyes shut, was the Twoleg kit putting Sandstorm and Squirrelpaw in the back of the Twoleg monster, both in cages, the cats were yowling, looking at Firestar, with a mixture of horror, regret, sadness, and the littlest glint of anger.

--

Firestar was standing in StarClan. Scattered clouds were under his feet and as far in the distance as he could see. The place was blanketed with a rush of mist.

Five cats surronded one, but suddenly one disapeared, Firestar did not get enough time to identify the cat though. He'd lost another life? But he had lost all his lives when he was shot by the Twoleg... He didn't need to think about that now, he began to identify the four cats that surronded him.

There was Spottedleaf, the beautiful former ThunderClan medicine cat.

There was Bluestar, the also somewhat beautiful former ThunderClan leader.

There was Yellowfang, a former ShadowClan medicine cat, who was exiled for a crime she did not commit, and fled to ThunderClan, to be their medicine cat after Spottedleaf died.

There was Whitestorm, the big white tom that had been in an obvious love with Bluestar before she died, and before he died.

But then another one appeared, in the middle of them all.

Firestar widened his eyes with a mixture of fear, a pure horror.

He'd prayed to StarClan that this cat was still alive, suffering he knew, but he hoped that she hadn't died.

It was Leafpaw.

His own daughter... he saw her now, in StarClan.

_StarClan why?_ Firestar thought helplessly. There was no Silverpelt to look up to and plead though, so he just stared at the line of StarClan warriors, medicine cats and leaders.

"Firestar...?" a meow came. Leafpaw had turned around to see her father. "Father! You're dead?!" Leafpaw yowled.

Firestar blinked in confusion. "No... I lost a life... I... I thought you were dead..." Firestar's heart flew.

"What? No... I suppose I'm having a dream about StarClan, I fell a sleep in the cage and..." Leafpaw's voice trailed off.

Firestar was very confused. Why was his daughter here, while he was losing a life?

"Leafpaw, we have a prophecy for you that can wait no longer," Bluestar explained. Firestar's eyes widened with surprise. "Firestar needed to know it as well..." her voice trailed off. "There is no time to explain,"

"What's the prophecy?" Leafpaw eagerly asked.

Bluestar blinked, as if she was offended by Leafpaw's questions. All a sudden her and the other cats started getting smaller, as if they were melting away, Leafpaw yowled, but she could not move.

"What's the prophecy?! Please!" Leafpaw pleaded.

But they were gone.  
Suddenly out of the shadows of the completely dark room they were in, a voice murmured, "Innocent blood will spill on your journey. Lives will be taken. And you must choose between what you love, and what you know is right,"

Firestar blinked. Did that mean for Leafpaw? Or him?

He didn't want his poor, already suffering daughter to have such a burden to bare, but also, he didn't want to have to go through anything else, all he wanted was to be back in ThunderClan camp, with Leafpaw, Sandstorm, Squirrelpaw, Graystripe, Cinderpelt, and all the other cats he had risked so much to protect.

Firestar yowled despretley into the darkness. But he was stopped, by Leafpaw meow of surprise.

"Leafpaw...?" Firestar looked over to his daughter, his eyes widened with horror. The completely black ground was curling around his daughter and sucking her down. Firestar jumped forward and took her scruff in his jaws, the black began to devoure him as well, with horror he let go, but quickly went back to hold her scruff.

But it was to late. Firestar's jaw awkwardly fell as Leafpaw was sucked down into the dark hole of nothingness.

Had Leafpaw just been killed...? Firestar wondered helplessly.

How could he get out now? But a heart beat after the thought crossed his mind, Firestar was sucked up in the blackness also, like quick sand, he felt suddenly lifeless as he awoke. Perhaps it was because they'd taken one of his lives and he did not notice... Firestar slowly curled open his eyes to the blinding light. He felt pyshically strong again and he stood up, his wounds were suddenly repaired, and he felt much, much better. He looked around franticlly. Everyone was gone.

Was this another dream?

Where was everyone?

If this wasn't a dream, would his friends and kin really leave him here, to suffer? To die...?

Firestar yowled out his mate and daughter's name.

A blood streak was left from where Firestar had been hit, and it reminded him of the pain, making him feel vunruble and weak.

"Hello?! Where are you?!" Firestar yowled pleadingly.

Another monster zoomed past, but luckily Firestar was already at the other part of the road.

"Spottedleaf?" Firestar murmured. "Oh Spottedleaf thank StarClan you're here! Where are everyone? Is this a dream?"

A figure made out of pink petal formed Spottedleaf's figure.

"This is not a dream, Firestar," Spottedleaf reassured, "Your friends have all been captured,"

Firestar's eyes widened with horror and he felt his throat began to well up with coming tears.

"All I wanted was to get Leafpaw back! And instead, _everyone _is captured?!" Firestar yowled.

"Firestar... I will always be with you, here, watching over you, protecting you, fighting with you," Spottedleaf meowed softly, "You have nothing to fear, for on this journey you will not be alone,"

Firestar tilted his head to one side to show confusion.

"If you ever need me, I'll know, and I'll come," Spottedleaf continued.

"Oh thank you Spottedleaf... thank you..." Firestar breathed gratefully.

Spottedleaf let out a weak smile. "Remember what Cloudtail told you about the gap in the fence at Treecut place?" Spottedleaf asked.

Firestar nodded.

"Then you know what to do, if you need me, just whisper my name," Spottedleaf murmured, and then the petals that formed her figure blew away.

Firestar stood, as if unsure of what to do next. After a moment of thinking, he began to trot to Treecut place, his fur bristled as he heard a cracking sound, probably a Twoleg cutting some trees, and he began to sprint toward the fence. A Twoleg must've spotted him because the place erupted with Twoleg growls and hisses.

Firestar quickly found the gap in the fence, he raced through it, but instead, his fur got caught on the wood, he yowled as it dug into his flesh, but the pain ebbed away after a moment.

He pulled his leg back from the wood, to release himself, but it did not work, and Twolegs were running toward him! He needed to get out, and quick! Firestar jagged the wood back, making it snap, he ran again, though his leg hurt terribly.

He stopped for a moment after he was sure the Twolegs hadn't followed him to give his leg some licks, and finding some cobweb to dress his wound in.

"Thank StarClan," Firestar breathed.

The journey had been long, and it wasn't over yet.

Firestar looked down the rows and rows of Twoleg nests, and he knew, this wasn't near the end of his journey.

It was only just the beginning.


	6. The Journey Continues

Warriors: The Journey Begins.

Hey'

I've been trying uber hard to get my fanfiction in early to make up for the late times... because I have the feeling less people are reading my fanfiction sense I'm taking to long to post'

SO SO SO INCREDIBLY SORRY D8

Hope you like chapter 6 TT

--

Firestar panted hard as he sprinted, the sound of the booming barks roaring in his ears.

A brown and black, tall dog was chasing him down the rows of Twoleg houses, running after the dog was a Twoleg and their kit. The kit yowled something in a sqeeky voice, and the Twoleg growled something to the dog, still running after Firestar.

Firestar took a surprise turn and darted down an gap between two Twoleg nests.

When he was sure that the dog was gone, along with the equally horrible Twolegs, he stopped. He was at the edge of the gap, where it opened on the other side. The gap opened into a medium Thunderpath. Twoleg monsters zoomed by, making Firestar's fur bristle. Their horid stench tainted the air like a dead rabbit in a lake would taint water. Firestar curled his lip in digust and looked side-to-side, pricking his ears to make sure no monsters were coming. Then he raced past the Thunderpath, panting, and letting out a faint whimpering meow from the pain in his leg as he went. A heartbeat before another Twoleg zoomed by, Firestar set paw off of the Thunderpath. His flanks heaving with exahustion, he decided he'd look for a place to spend the night, maybe find some fresh-kill, and get some rest. He knew he would need it, for tomorrow would bring much exahustion, and perhaps even death.

The thought of the prophecy suddenly ringed through Firestar's mind.

_Innocent blood will spill on your journey. Lives will be taken. And you must choose between what you love, and what you know is right. _

Firestar's heart sank. No... not _perhaps _there would be death, the prophecy clearly stated that lives would be taken.

On this unpredictable adventute, only death, and bloodshed will be positive.

But for who, Firestar did not know.

--

Firestar colasped on the soft moss bed he'd made in his den for the night. He'd found a very nice place to rest for the night, and he'd even worked up enough energy to catch three pieces of fresh-kill. He stretched his neck to get his mouth closer to the fresh-kill that he'd set down near his moss bed. The tempting scent earged him to move his shoulders closer and pull the dead rabbit by the leg and drag it in front of him. Firestar devoured the rabbit in greedy, huge bites, earging to get as much meat as possible down his throat, without choaking.

Before long, all three pieces of Firestar's fresh-kill were settled comfortably in his stomach. It felt undescribebly reliving when Firestar got the chance to close his eye for a long while. As he blinked open his eyes for a moment, he saw the figure of Spottedleaf, but as the wind picked up, it blew away, along with a gentle voice, murmuring, "I'm here..."

Firestar took in a breath, and let it out carelessly. Why had so much happened to him in so little time? It seemed only moments ago he was in ThunderClan camp, looking into his best friend, Graystripe's dark yellow eyes, and sharing tounges with his beloved mate, Sandstorm. When he returned to camp-_if _he returned to camp, would his friends be there to greet him? Firestar hoped so. All a sudden, sleep over took Firestar's thoughts and he started drifting in a deep sleep, that he hoped would lead to more answers to this terrifying prophecy.

Light shined through the small den Firestar's rested in, and as he


End file.
